Tokens of Good Will
by AthenaScarlet
Summary: Emma thought the cute waiter at Granny's Diner may finally be the man she could open her heart to, but what happens when the person she's falling in love with turns out to be someone completely different? Captain Swan AU with Cursed!Killian.
1. Chapter 1

It was too early to be up but if she didn't get a jump on it, Emma was going to be crushed by the files on her desk that she needed to sign off on. So of course rather than doing what she should be doing at her desk, she decided to drag herself over to Granny's for breakfast to finish them.

"Hey, sheriff!"

"Morning, Will," Emma said as she sat down at the counter.

"You're here earlier than usual," he answered as he placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of her before reaching under the counter for some cinnamon. "Busy day?"

"Let's hope not," she replied. "Just some boring paperwork."

Will handed her a menu and placed some silverware in front of her. "Sounds like fun. Let me know when you're ready, darlin'."

She nodded and watched the waiter leave. Emma would never admit it, but she did enjoy taking a quick peek at him whenever he walked away.

If she were any other person, Emma would find Will Morgan more than appealing. Charming, sweet, attractive as all hell with his constant scruff and blue eyes. He had this calming New England accent that just put Emma at ease whenever she walked into the diner and he always seemed so happy. Will also had a prosthetic hand - the result of a car accident years ago, according to Mary Margaret - so he was extra expressive with his right hand, which Emma found endearing.

But all that wasn't Emma's type. No, Emma's type was the bad boy she could dump with some flimsy excuse or the losers she wouldn't feel bad about being abandoned by when they decided to walk away - and they always decided to walk away. She was trying to change that and learn how to depend on others, especially now that she was in Storybrooke with Henry. But there was still that nagging voice in her head telling her they may abandon her just as quickly as her real parents, her foster parents and her only love had done before.

"Sheriff?" Will asked. "You OK?"

Emma sat up and tried to clear her wandering mind. "Oh ...yeah. Sorry," she said, giving him an embarrassed smile. "Lost in my thoughts, I guess."

Will smiled back, setting her at ease like he always did. "That must be some awful paperwork there, darlin'," he said. "How about some scrambled eggs and toast to take your mind off it?"

"And hash browns?" she said, handing the menu back to him.

"Done."

She watched him walk away - again - before returning to the files in front of her. It could've been much worse, but Storybrooke definitely had the small crimes that fit a small town.

Emma started flipped through her pile of papers. Most of the files she brought with her this morning were only half completed or still being investigated by Graham before his untimely death. She felt the need to finally get them completed to not only get the sheriff's inbox empty but to also make sure his work was finished.

"More hot chocolate?" Will asked from behind the counter.

Emma took a quick glance at her empty cup before looking back down at her paperwork. "No, I'm fine," she said. "But I have a question for you actually."

She looked up to see Will smiling at her in anticipation. "What's up?" he asked cheerfully before his head quickly snapped in response to the cook's bell at the back of the diner. "Actually, hold that thought for one second."

Emma watched him go before quickly averting her eyes to focus on the paperwork in front of her so he didn't see her staring.

"OK," he said, placing her breakfast down on the counter. "Sorry about that. You had a question."

"Right," she said, grabbing the piece of toast on her plate. "So I'm finishing up these files that were in the office and Graham had four - wait, five - different reports about some place called Lookout Point. Do you know where that is?"

She looked up to see a flustered smile on Will's face. "If you go past the toll bridge, there's an access road that goes into the woods and it's just right up there. Kind of a secluded area."

"Seems like an odd place …" Her voice trailed off as she started to put all the cases together in her head. "Wait, is it a make-out spot?"

She looked up in time to see Will's cheeks start to flush with embarrassment. "Um … Can I feign ignorance?" he asked.

Emma laughed at him. "So let me guess: you used to take your girlfriends up there in high school, didn't you?"

A puzzled look crossed his face. "You know, I don't really remember."

"You can't remember making out with girls in your car in the forest when you were in high school?"

His eyes seemed to be unfocused as if he was in his head, trying to remember something. "It's strange, but I don't really have any memories of high school to be honest."

Emma gave him a slight scoff. "Must be a sign you had a great time then."

"Maybe," Will said with a little laugh, his eyes returning to her. "Although I definitely would've remembered if I had ever taken you up there." He immediately looked like he wanted to take back what he had just said and nervously tapped his fingers on the counter in between them. "You need anything else, darlin'?" he asked to quickly change the subject.

"No," she responded. "No, I'm fine."

He nodded his head and quietly moved down the counter to get an order from a new customer, which was fine with her. She didn't know why exactly, but there was something about the way he had mentioned the idea of them in high school together that made the butterflies in her stomach flutter slightly. She was definitely not the romantic type or even the sentimental type, but she wondered just how much better her teenage years would've been if she had been here with a guy like him.

Once she was able to dig into breakfast, Emma quickly worked through the rest of her paperwork. This, she remembered, is why she came to Granny's to start her morning. If only she could be as productive in the sheriff's office.

Emma paid Ruby and left a tip for Will on the counter, then headed out into the spring morning of Storybrooke. Will was outside on the front patio clearing away some dishes from earlier.

"Have a good day," she said as she walked past him.

"Hey, Emma!" he said, stopping her before she made it to the sidewalk. "Did you get everything done that you needed to?"

"Yea, thanks," she replied. "See ya later!"

"Wait!" She turned to see him still standing there and looking a bit unsure of himself. "Um… I actually wanted to ask … I mean, I don't know what your situation is or whatever, but I was just wondering if you'd like to get dinner sometime."

Something weird happened to Emma. It was as if his nervousness had rubbed off on her, making her brain short circuit and her breath hitch. She couldn't remember the last time someone asked her out like this on a real date. "Um, yea. I could do dinner."

Will's smile lit up his face. "Cool. So yea … that would be cool," he said, trying to quickly cover his excitement. "How about 7 o'clock tomorrow? At that Italian place on Oak Street?"

"Sounds good," Emma said, nodding her head. "I'll see you there?"

Will ducked his head to hide his nervousness. "Yea, I'll be there at 7," he said hesitantly, giving Emma one last smile before balancing the dish bin on his prosthetic hand and heading back into the diner.

Emma quietly turned back to the street and took a deep breath. A charming, sweet, attractive as all hell man had asked her out on a real date. She was going to have to cancel the actual plans she had with Mary Margaret the next night but after Emma told her why, she hoped her roommate would understand.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma tried to pass it off as a casual date, but the pile of clothes she had tried on and rejected said otherwise. She finally settled on jeans and a low-cut green top that brought out her eyes and hugged her in the all the right places. Then she dug through the bottom of her closet to find her black heels - three inches, patent leather, lots of straps and they made her legs look amazing.

"Are you sure it's OK that I'm bailing on you?" Emma said as she stepped into the kitchen.

Mary Margaret took one look and gave her a devilish smile. "Just a date? Are you sure about that?"

Emma looked down at her clothes. "Are these not date clothes?"

"You downplayed the fact that you were going on a date tonight, but that outfit is not downplaying anything," she replied.

"It's just a date," Emma said, although even she didn't fully believe herself.

Mary Margaret smiled back at her. "If it's just a date, then I expect you home by 9 o'clock, young lady," she said sarcastically.

"Yes, _mom_," Emma answered before grabbing her coat off the rack.

"You better give me details!" she heard her roommate yell before closing the door behind her.

The night air was cool but refreshing and it calmed Emma as she got closer and closer to the restaurant. She may have been insisting loudly that it was just a date, but Will had genuinely surprised her when he asked her out. It was just so weird for her to be this excited about dinner with some guy but at the same time, Will Morgan wasn't some guy. She could admit that she saw the glances he made her way when she was at Granny's and she was more than happy to sneak a peek of him as he worked. But they were casual friends who saw each other at the diner. So why was she so jumpy about all this?

As she got closer to the restaurant, she could see him standing outside waiting for her in blue jeans and a button down shirt with a black leather jacket over it. She watched him lightly scratch an itch behind his ear - a quirk she had noticed before and always found adorable.

Then Will finally saw her and his whole demeanor change. He stood up straighter and his smile accentuated his eyes as he turned in her direction, which made him look even more handsome.

"Hey!" He gently grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to plant a light kiss on her cheek.

"I hope you weren't waiting long," she said, leaning in to feel his warmth on her cheek.

"Nope, I just got here."

Emma had a thing for being able to tell when someone was lying and he was. But to be fair, she also knew he wasn't telling the truth because she had stared at him for at least a block. She wondered how early he had arrived just to make sure he was on time for her.

When Will pulled the door open for her, she noticed his eyes scan the length of her body and a quick smile formed on his lips. Normally, she would find the gawking a bit off putting, but he had tried to be discreet enough about it that she took it as a silent compliment.

"I hope you haven't been here before," he said, looking at her apprehensively over his menu after they were seated. "It's a Storybrooke institution, but I figured you haven't been in town for a long time so …"

"Something else new to try in Storybrooke I guess."

"Good," he said with a bit of confidence. "I'm glad I chose right. Um … the house wine is pretty amazing if you want to share a bottle."

"I'll trust you this time," she said with mock trepidation.

She was right to trust him. The wine was amazing, the conversation was easy, and the food was delicious - his linguini with mussels recommendation was perfect. He genuinely laughed at her stories about tracking down perps as part of her bail bonds job and she loved hearing about the regulars at the diner staggering in hungover for breakfast. Apparently, Granny's French toast was the best cure after a late-night bender.

And when the waiter put the tiramisu in between them - with two forks - she could tell Will's eyes were on her as she took her first bite, anticipating her reaction. It was hard to hide it though. "Oh, you were right. This is so amazing," she said.

"Right?" he answered, his eyes lighting up after her approval. "I figured with the whole cinnamon in your hot chocolate thing that you may like this too."

She took another bite, savoring the richness of the dessert in her mouth. He was right - cinnamon was her favorite and this was the perfect way to end their dinner. She tried to tell herself that he only knew about her affection for the spice because she always ordered it at the diner. But of all the men she had dated over the years - even Henry's father Neal - none of them had noticed her thing for cinnamon.

"So there's this crepe food truck I'll take you to at the farmers market on Saturday," Will started to explain. "You're going to love the apple crepes they make! They throw in extra cinnamon and sugar and it's just fantastic."

She was about to take another bite before she stopped herself. "Wait, you're going to take me there on Saturday?"

She saw his fork pause in midair, a nervous smile forming on his lips. "I mean, you know, if you wanted to go," he said, trying to hide his nervousness with another bite.

"So you think there's going to be a second date?"

He gave her a shy smirk. "We've been here two hours and everyone else has left so I hoped that meant you were having a good time," he said, staring back at the tiramisu to avoid eye contact with her.

"And you're confident that means I would say 'yes' to another date?" she said, a teasing smile forming on her lips.

He pushed the last bite of dessert across the plate towards her with his fork. "Not confident at all, but I was hoping you wouldn't notice."

This was crazy. She had been on so many dates before with so many guys, but Will's nervousness - even after the wonderful dinner and the fact that they were about to get kicked out of the restaurant - just made him more attractive to her. She couldn't remember the last time a man treated her like this, like she was a modern-day princess or something.

Emma took the last bite of dessert and could tell his eyes were on her lips. She put down her fork slowly while trying to play it cool even though she could feel the butterflies in her stomach. "Well, I do like crepes."

He gave her an earnest look. "Good."

"But I'm only going for the crepes," she added, feeling a warmth building in her chest when he laughed at her joke.

"Oh, of course, darlin'," he said, playing along. "Totally for the crepes."

They finally got the bill and he quickly grabbed it, not even giving her time to offer to help pay. Then he stood up to help her out of her chair and into her coat before putting on his own.

It was cooler than before when they got outside and she zipped her coat up to keep her warm. "I had a really good time," she said.

"Me too," he answered. "Which way is your place?"

She gave him an awkward look. He seemed like he was a gentleman the whole night, but now he wanted to go to her place? Not that she would've minded but …

Will picked up on the odd look she gave him. "I mean, so I can walk you home. Only good form, I promise."

"Good form?" she said, as she started to walk with him beside her.

"It's this thing I picked up from a book I read ages ago," he said. "You know, a moral code, good intentions and all that."

"Ah," she said, a silence falling between them with the only sound being her heels on the pavement.

Will pulled his right hand out of his pocket. "Here," he said, holding it out to her across his body.

"What?"

"Give me your hand."

She gave him a smile, accepting his invitation. He gently placed her hand in the crook of his left elbow next to her and she leaned into him, feeling comfortable and warm next to his body. As they walked, Will gave her a flippant commentary of Storybrooke attractions. "All the cookies at Granny's come from that bakery over there. Granny tried to do them herself, but Hansel's are so much better," he said, before quickly adding, "Don't tell Granny I told you that."

"Your secret is safe," Emma whispered, using it as an excuse to pull herself closer to him, and she could see him blush as they passed under the street light.

The move must've given Will some extra confidence and he started to loosen up as they got closer to Emma's house. "The guy that lives there once walked home from the Rabbit Hole completely naked! Totally convinced he had clothes on the whole time," or "Don't eat there. Their last health inspection report had something about mice that were blind and just … don't."

As they got to her door, Emma really did feel a tinge of disappointment that the night was over - something she didn't expect when she had headed out to meet Will.

"So this is me," she said, unlocking the door leading up to the stairs.

Will nodded his head. "Cool. Well, I had a really good time, Emma."

"Me, too," she said before a nervous silence fell over them.

"Um … so Saturday? Crepes?"

She rocked on her heels a bit. "Yep."

"OK," he said. He took a step away from her then reconsidered and leaned in, planting a firm but gentle kiss on her lips. It was just a simple kiss, but it still made Emma's head spin to feel the warmth of his lips as she embraced him back.

Will pulled away slowly, giving her a timid smile. "Have a good night, darlin'."

"You too," she said.

His smile widened, lighting up his eyes, and she smiled back before ducking her head down, hoping to hide the blush she started to feel creeping up her cheeks. Emma pushed her way through the door and reluctantly closed it behind her. She could guarantee Mary Margaret would still be awake and want to know all the details, and Emma knew she would start with, "It was the best date I've had in a long time."


	3. Chapter 3

Will really was the perfect gentleman when it came to dating Emma.

He would smile at her whenever she walked into Granny's and bring her some hot chocolate - with cinnamon - but he wouldn't make a big fuss or make it obvious that he was dating her. She asked him if it was because he didn't want people to know he was seeing her, which he quickly refuted and simply told her it was a "good form" thing, saying he didn't want town gossips talking about the sheriff's dating habits.

But for as much as she appreciated his discretion, she was also getting frustrated by it. She didn't want to complain and she knew he was trying not to push, but they were about to go on their fifth date and they hadn't gotten any further than a make-out session by her front door that was accidentally interrupted by Mary Margaret. Maybe things were different in Maine. Maybe sex on the third date was just a city thing or just a thing with the morons she dated. Seriously though, if Emma was being honest with herself, she really wanted Will to drop the niceties and just get on with it already.

After crepes at the farmer's market, a hike through the woods nearby, and another amazing dinner, Will stopped by her sheriff's office after work one day with a basket on his arm.

"I thought since it's finally warmed up outside, we could have dinner under the stars," he explained.

"Very romantic," Emma replied in an exaggerated tone but with a sly smile, hoping he would get the hint that she was looking forward to "dessert" as well.

They walked down to the beach, Will holding the basket and Emma hanging on to a blanket he had handed her. He directed her to a spot on the beach - "The best spot in Storybrooke!" - and they sat down with dinner spread out in front of them as the sun set over the cove.

As they finished dinner, Will reached for the spoon from a take-out bowl in front of him. "Did you try the clam chowder that Jimmy made at the diner tonight?" he asked. "I'm trying to convince Granny to make it a menu special next week."

He held the spoon out for her and it tasted better than any she had found while living in Boston. "Oh, so good," she said, glancing at his arm as he pulled away.

There was a tattoo on his forearm that she hadn't noticed before due to his long-sleeved shirts in the cooler weather. Even now, she could barely make it out with only the lights from the nearby docks to illuminate it. "I didn't realize you had a tattoo," she said casually.

"Oh, yea," he responded hesitantly. "It's just … uh … for someone I loved. Milah."

Emma's brain was telling her to leave it alone, to not push him, but the sheriff's interrogation skills silenced those voices. "Who's Milah?"

Will put the take-out bowl down slowly. "My first love. She was awesome - confident, funny, strong. You would've liked her," he said, a small smile briefly breaking through on his face. "Anyway, we planned this whole romantic weekend a few years ago at a bed and breakfast in New Hampshire. But she lost control of our car near the town line, flipped it a few times." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Lost my girlfriend and my hand the same day."

Emma sat quietly cursing herself for being intrusive. She should've just kept her mouth shut. "I'm … I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have pushed."

"No, no," he quickly replied. "It's fine. It's … I'm glad you asked. Besides, we've all had our heart broken one way or another, right?"

"That's for sure," Emma responded.

Will laughed a little. "I'm sorry, but I have trouble believing that. No man in his right mind would've broken yours."

She scoffed. "I've always thought he wasn't in his right mind when he left me so maybe you're right."

"So who was he?" Will asked.

"Neal?" Emma said. "Well, he was a lost soul like me, I guess. Kindred spirits. We met and were partners in crime - literally - and then he was just gone."

Will gave her a tight smile. "Like a ghost?"

"Yea," she said.

"So is he Henry's father then?"

"Not by much, which is why I put Henry up for adoption. You know, give the kid his best chance."

Will nodded in understanding and didn't ask anymore questions, which Emma appreciated. She didn't mind telling him about her past but unlike Will, she didn't have fond memories of her lost love.

They sat there as the breeze blew off the water through Emma's hair and she forced herself to take a sip of wine to cover the uncomfortable silence that started to surround them. That is until Will let out a small laugh.

"What?" she asked with a smirk creeping across her lips.

"Sorry, that was just quite deep for a relaxing date, wasn't it?" he said in mock cheerfulness.

"I honestly don't know," she replied. "I've never actually had someone ask me about that on a date. Although I think you're the first man I've dated who actually knew about Henry."

"I guess I forget sometimes that if you're not from a small town, you have to actually learn someone else's backstory - and they have to learn yours."

Emma chuckled. "That's for sure," she said.

"What was with the laugh?" Will asked her, a look of amusement on his face.

"Oh, it's just … uh ..." Emma took a deep breath. Would she be betraying Henry by talking to Will about all of this? It was hard for her to find someone who didn't act like her son was crazy for believing it, but then not everyone was Will. "So Henry has a back story for everyone in town. He thinks the people here are cursed fairy tale characters, but they just can't remember it."

Will gave his own chuckle. "Kids can be quite imaginative sometimes I guess," he said amusingly. "Who does he think you are?"

"He thinks I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming," she admitted quickly.

Will's face lit up. "Well, you are the most beautiful woman in this town so that makes sense," he said. "Who does he think I am?"

"I'm not sure yet," she said. "Maybe you're such a nice guy here because you were a dastardly villain or something."

"Oh! I like it. Maybe I'm the hunter who killed Bambi's mom."

"I think that's a Disney movie, not a fairy tale," she answered.

"Dammit. I was so close to being evil!" he joked.

Emma smiled, then paused and took a deep breath. "Listen, about that …"

"About being evil?" Will asked, his eyebrow going up in a questioning manner.

"I mean, sort of, I guess," she stammered. "I don't know if it's a Maine thing or a gentleman thing or maybe because of your - because of Milah. But um ..." Emma took a deep breath. "Why haven't we slept together?"

Will started choking on the wine he was drinking before trying to stifle a bit of a coughing fit. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting that … question."

Emma could feel her face beginning to blush. "I shouldn't have been so blunt."

"No, no, it's fine," Will protested, putting his glass of wine down in the sand. "I just didn't want to push it or anything, you know? I thought I'd follow your lead."

Emma looked into his eyes. "One of my favorite things about you is how kind you are, but you don't have to be that gentle all the time."

He gave her a mischievous smile and leaned in to kiss her. It was slow and deliberate, but his actions quickly escalated as he snaked his hand around her waist to pull her closer and she brushed her hands against the scruff on his cheeks. Emma was starting to wonder just how far they were going to take this right now and how she would explain the sheriff's report she would have to file about the lewd couple on the beach. Then Will gently bit her lower lip and dropped his hand lower to graze his fingers along the waist of her jeans and she forgot there was even a world around them.

They only stopped to take a breath when he accidentally kicked his wine glass over onto Emma's boots. Will nervously laughed as he grabbed some napkins from the basket and quickly wiped the wine from the leather. "I am so sorry," he said. "Very smooth of me, I know."

Emma took the napkin from his hand to finish cleaning up the spill. "Maybe it was just time for us to pack up. It's getting a bit cool out here anyway."

"Yea," he said, quickly throwing a few things in the basket haphazardly before pausing and looking back at her, his lips still slightly swollen and red. "Since my place is only a few blocks away, how about we have another drink there?"

She looked up and gave him a reassuring smile. "I would like that."

Of course, Emma didn't exactly want another drink, but she figured she had already made that very clear to him.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma grabbed her phone off the nightstand to check the time. 5:45 a.m. She unceremoniously dropped it back down, cursing whoever made the sun rise earlier in Maine than it did in Boston.

And if the early time wasn't bad enough, she rolled over to find she was alone in bed. She had an amazing time with Will last night - at least she thought she did. But here she was, waking up alone as usual after a guy she had slept with had quietly slipped out of her apartment before she woke up.

And then she remembered this wasn't her bed. It was his.

Emma looked around at the early sunlit bedroom to see a chair in the corner, a set of drawers along one wall and some white blinds across three windows that were thin enough to let the light filter in from outside. Then she looked down at the t-shirt she had somehow picked up during the night. It was soft and black with the words "Star Wars" outlined in yellow across the chest - definitely not hers. She closed her eyes basking in the scent of the fresh dryer sheets from the shirt and pillowcase her head still rested on.

She could hear Will shuffling his feet in the other room while his coffee machine was brewing. She heard him open a cupboard and place a cup on the counter, then pour the pot. It was all so domestic and she could feel her anxiety about being left alone quickly replaced by a feeling of warmth. Normally, something like this would make her wandering independent soul start to panic. Instead, the whole thing was domestic and calming - and she liked it.

Will opened the door quietly and laid down on the bed next to her. "Emma?" he whispered.

She smiled with her eyes still closed. "Morning."

"I've got to get to work, darlin'," he said with his scratchy half-awake voice.

Emma started pulling the covers off of her to climb out of bed.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Will asked, putting light pressure on her shoulder with his prosthetic hand to force her back on the pillow.

Emma gave him a confused look. "We have to get going if you want to get to work on time."

She could see his eyes fill with warmth. "I have to get to work on time," he explained as he pulled the sheets back over her. "You have to stay here and sleep."

"It's OK. I can leave with you."

"Sleep!" he commanded. "You have the day off anyway so just stay here."

She snuggled her head deeper into the pillow and pulled the blanket tighter over her shoulders. "If you insist."

"I do," he said. Will put his head down on his own pillow and stared at her. "You do know I would stay if I could."

"I know," she said. "But I would rather you not be here when I have to do a walk of shame through your apartment to find my clothes."

A low growl escaped from Will's lips. "Darlin', that's something you should not tell a man who wants to skip work to spend all day in bed with you."

Emma gave him a flirty giggle. "Fine. You need to go to work to pay for our expensive fancy dinners on the beach."

"You make a good point," he grumbled with a hint of sarcasm before giving her a quick wink. "There's clean towels in the bathroom and I left a mug on the counter for coffee for you."

"No hot chocolate with cinnamon?" she asked with mocking pout.

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I promise I'll have some for you next time."

"Oh, that's too bad since this was a one-time thing."

"I don't remember it being just a one-time thing last night," he said, his eyebrow arching as he gazed down at her. She giggled again as he gave her another peck on her cheek. "So listen," he said, his breath warm on her face. "I was thinking about the conversation we had that day in the diner."

She opened one eye to look at him. "Which one?" she asked, wondering where this conversation was going.

"About Lookout Point," he said, a nervous smile creeping on to his face. "The skies are supposed to be clear tonight and the stars are gorgeous up there."

"The stars? Really?" she asked sarcastically. "Are you sure you don't just want to make out with me in your car?"

He gave her a devilish smile. "I was hoping for a little more than that. You know, if you don't mind taking the risk of being caught by the sheriff."

"I don't mind taking the risk," she teased.

"Then I don't mind bringing the hot chocolate," Will answered with a smile.

"With cinnamon!"

"Of course, darlin'. I could never forget." He leaned down and kissed her forehead one last time. "Now get back to sleep!"

"Yes, sir," she said, closing her eyes.

She watched him quietly walk out the bedroom door before easily snuggling into his sheets.

Emma finally got up a few hours later and walked into Will's kitchen to get the coffee he had promised her. After quickly warming it up in the microwave, she took her mug and sat down on the couch to survey his apartment since she didn't have a chance to actually look at it the night before.

It was definitely an apartment a single man lived in - very manly with the leather couch, big television and video game console - but it was comfortable. Emma didn't feel like she had to be meticulous while she was there, but she also didn't feel like she was about to find a handful of cockroaches lurking in the shadows either. It was cozy and warm and just so Will.

She put her mug in his sink and headed off to take a shower, which was just as single man-ish and no nonsense as Will's living room. She figured his "Mountain Fresh" shower gel might actually make her smell tougher than her vanilla soap at home, which was fine considering she had another meeting with Regina in the afternoon. The mayor wanted to talk to her about Henry and the sheriff's department, but all Emma wanted to do was stay in Will's shower, which she noted had amazing water pressure.

She walked through his apartment in only a towel, collecting the clothes she had dropped piece by piece the night before. Her jeans were on his bedroom floor with her black lace panties nearby. Her bra was hanging over a floor lamp in the living room. She found her shirt close to the front door but opted to borrow his comfy Star Wars shirt instead. After finally putting herself together, she quickly tossed some mints into her mouth and then stuffed her own shirt in her purse before heading out the door.

Will's place was right above the hardware store on Main St. and looked down on Granny's, but his front door was actually at the back of the building, which allowed her to discreetly head home without doing the walk of shame through the middle of town. Emma smiled thinking of all the ways she could thank him for that later.


	5. Chapter 5

_This one is a pivotal chapter with a shift in the POV - you'll see why and I promise it will only last for this chapter. __Thanks for the comments! You guys rock!_

It was amazing how quickly things had changed for Emma.

That morning, she had once again woken up in the bed of a man who had made her feel special and wanted after another amazing night with him. But now she was next to another bed, only it was in the hospital with her son quietly lying there.

The day went downhill after leaving the warm confines of Will's apartment. Emma had another meeting with Regina about Henry and this time, it was kindness wrapped in a threat. The mayor had power, she had reminded Emma. If the sheriff didn't leave town and her son behind, there would be consequences for the people she cared about: Henry, Mary Margaret, Will. And if it wasn't bad enough, Regina's parting gift - a stupid apple turnover - put Henry in his current state. Apparently, the mayor's threats weren't empty.

Emma was so engrossed in her thoughts and her pain by Henry's bedside that she hadn't heard Will walk in to stand beside her.

"Emma?" She turned to see him standing there, coffee cup in hand from Granny's diner. "Hi," he said sheepishly. "I heard you were here and thought I would bring you some hot chocolate."

He handed her the cup, which she took it from his hand and put it on the tray next to Henry's bed. "I'm not thirsty."

He exhaled quietly and put his head down. "I figured as much but thought I would try," he said. "How's he doing?"

Emma shook her head, trying to swallow the lump in her throat that was threatening to break free. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but she couldn't. She didn't want him to see her broken like this. They had become close in the past month and Emma felt li just come to the realization that she was falling in love with him - and that it was even possible for her. But this was too much for her to share with someone else even if that someone else was Will.

He seemed to read her quietness well and let her have it - and then only breaking it with comforting words as he kneeled down next to her. "I know this doesn't help much, but if you need anything, you call me, OK? I'll be here whenever you want me."

Emma nodded and he stood up to kiss the top of her head. Then he put his arm around her neck as she blinked to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall from her weary eyes. She leaned in, putting her cheek in the crook of his elbow while wrapping her fingers around his forearm. It made her immediately feel like he really would be there to support her through this when she was ready for it. Then Will's fingers slowly slipped off her shoulder and he stood still behind her before finally taking a few steps towards the door.

"Will," she said quietly while keeping her eyes transfixed on her son.

"Yea?"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I was thinking about leaving Storybrooke for good today. I told Regina that I would consider it."

Will exhaled loudly behind her. "Why would you even think about leaving us?" he asked in a comforting and reassuring tone.

"I didn't want people getting hurt because I was here. And then this happened." Her voice began to shake. "I just wanted Henry to be safe, and my friends, and you."

She could hear him walking back towards her and she turned to look at him over her shoulder.

"First of all, this wasn't your fault," he said before raising his eyes to meet hers. "And second …" He paused and swallowed hard, trying to keep his own emotions in check. "Watching you leave would hurt me more than anything Regina could throw at me. And if you're worried about Henry, I would help you find a way to protect him if it meant you would stay."

She smiled sadly and looked down at his feet.

"Emma, look at me." She did as he commanded and could see in his eyes just how important she had become to him since their first date only a month earlier. "Promise me you won't leave town until you see me first. At least give me a chance to talk you out of it."

She gave him a slight nod and he returned it with a small smile, then leaned in and placed a warm, firm kiss on her forehead. He ran his hand through her hair, watching the tendrils of her blonde curls slowly slip through his fingers.

Will looked back at her face, his mouth curling into a tight smile as he took a few steps backward and shoved his hands in his pockets. "If you need anything, you call me. Anything."

Emma reached out for his hand. "Thank you," she whispered, raising the back of his hand to touch her cheek. Will squeezed her hand gently and nodded before letting his fingers slip from hers. Then he finally turned to quietly walk toward the door, gently closing it behind him.

Emma watched him through the wall of windows in Henry's room, a feeling of unease starting to come over her. She didn't know why she felt that way - maybe Henry's current state put her on edge - but there was something odd about the whole thing as she watched him turn the corner and disappear down the hospital's hallway.

That was the last time she saw Will Morgan.

* * *

Will slowly made his way out of the hospital, walking down the street with his hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie. His mind was obviously somewhere else, which is probably why he almost literally ran into Emma's roommate Mary Margaret, who seemed to be in just as much of a daze as he was.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Will," she said, taking a few steps back from him. "I just … My mind was somewhere else I guess."

He gave her a reassuring but sad smile. "I totally understand. I think we all feel that way right now."

"I was headed over to the hospital if you wanted to join me," she said.

But Will just shook her head. "I was just there so I'm good for now."

"OK," Mary Margaret replied, turning to leave as he began to do the same. "Wait, Will?" He stopped and looked back to face her. "I just wanted to thank you for what you've done for Emma."

Will scoffed quietly at her remark. "All I did was take her some hot chocolate and try to comfort her. She seemed to be too worried to take either one."

"No, I don't mean that," she replied. "I mean, everything. Emma has had some trouble adjusting to Storybrooke, especially with Regina and all of that stuff," she said, nonchalantly waving her hand in the air. "But I've only seen her really truly happy when she's with Henry or you."

Will ducked his head, too embarrassed to make eye contact with her. He didn't want her to see how much it really truly meant to him to hear her say that.

Mary Margaret gave him a tight smile in return. "I'll call you if there's an update on Henry," she said quietly before turning to continue her walk to the hospital.

"Please do," he replied.

He watching her walk away with her shoulders hunched over as if she was carrying the weight of Storybrooke on them. He suspected he looked the same as he turned to walk towards home. His heart was aching for Emma and for a stiff drink - rum sounded good for some reason - and his brain felt fuzzy as if he was trying to think with a dense fog clouding his mind.

Despite all of that, he suddenly became aware that something was not quite right. It was as if his whole body sensed something was about to change dramatically as if he was anticipating the sky to rip open and a torrential rain fall on him.

Then he heard it - a low buzzing behind him like the sound of power lines surging with electricity. He turned around just in time to have the wave of magic hit him head on, nearly knocking him to the ground.

_Magic? What is wrong with you, Will? There's no such thing as ..._

The images began to flash in his head. Milah on his ship. His brother. His crew pillaging the Queen's vessels. Captain's quarters. Brothels. The Jolly Roger, her sails unfurled. Tinkerbell. Neverland and a Peter Pan that was nothing like the fictional one in this realm.

This realm.

He looked up to see the people on the street seeming just as dazed as he was as if they all had woken up from a long dream and were finally beginning to remember who they really were.

But what did those flashes mean? Who was he? Will raised his hands to examine them, turning them over to try and see every detail - his right hand with its callouses and scars and his left hand, a prosthetic he had worn since …

Suddenly, everything came into focus. He hasn't lost his hand in a car accident. He lost it on the deck of his ship when he was attacked by Rumpelstiltskin. He lost it defending Milah, the woman whose death he was trying to avenge when the Queen's curse hit him. He wasn't Will, the nice guy who waited tables at Granny's. He was someone else entirely, someone much more deadly. And for the first time in 28 years, he was able to hear his real voice with his real accent come out of his own mouth.

"Fuck me," muttered Captain Hook.


	6. Chapter 6

Her parents weren't hugging her very hard, but Emma still felt like she was suffocating. This was weird. This was all so weird.

This morning, she woke up in her boyfriend's bed, feeling like she finally may have found someone she could depend on, someone who would be there for her when no one had been before. And now only a few hours later, the number of important people finally in her life had grown.

Emma could feel David's hand on the back of her head, cradling her as if she was still just the small baby he had tried to save from that curse all those years ago. Mary Margaret's arm encircled her neck, her head resting on Emma's shoulder.

"You found us," she whispered in Emma's ear. "I knew you would find us."

She pulled away and cupped Emma's face in her hands, her eyes glistening with tears as she gazed at her daughter.

Emma could feel her son coming to stand beside them. "Does this mean you're my grandparents?" Henry asked.

David laughed and ruffled her son's hair. "I guess it does, kid."

Leroy, who apparently was one of the seven dwarves, came to stand beside Mary Margaret and took a deep bow towards Emma. "It's a pleasure to see you, Your Highness."

Emma gave him a tight smile and nodded her in thanks before looking up to see Ruby standing behind him, giddy with excitement. She bounded over to Emma like an excited puppy and gave her a warm hug with Granny following suit.

But It was all feeling so odd to Emma. She barely knew any of these people and they were all looking at her like she was the princess they had been waiting for their whole lives.

She was supposed to be just as happy and gleeful about the curse being lifted as they were, but she wasn't - at least not fully. She had her parents now, but who were they really? David, her father, was standing in the middle of the street in Storybrooke in front of Emma with Mary Margaret, her mother, holding her hand. He was trying to explain that they had put her in a magical wardrobe alone, without them, to give her the best chance they could. But lifting the curse didn't change the fact that she still felt abandoned after all these years. It didn't change the fact that her parents were as old as she was and - Oh hell! She had serious conversations with Mary Margaret about one-night stands and her budding romance with Will.

Will. Emma really needed him right now. She wasn't sure how the curse had affected him, but he was the only stable person in her life who wasn't staring, expecting her to save the entire town or some kind of craziness.

"Um, what happened to Will?" she tried to casually ask Granny. "I haven't seen him yet."

Granny's smile faded and she nodded across the street to Will's apartment. Emma saw him sitting on sidewalk, his back against the building, staring at his hands. "You may want to be careful with that one, Emma," Granny said cautiously.

"Why?" she asked. "It's Will."

She glanced nervously at him. "He's not Will, dear. Not anymore."

Emma gave Granny a puzzling glance and started to cross the street towards him. She didn't understand what Granny had meant. He looked like Will and she hasn't met anyone in town yet who was so completely opposite of who they were before the curse. There were some differences but not complete opposites. There was no one who had changed from being purely good-hearted to completely dark. Sure, she had joked about it with him on the beach that night, but he couldn't be so evil now when the cursed version of him was so kind, right?

She stopped in front of him, but he didn't look up at her. "Hey," she said in a somewhat apprehensive tone. Will looked up at her quickly and then back down at his hands. "Granny said I should be careful around you. So are you like the Big Bad Wolf or something?" she asked trying to sound flippant and not really succeeding.

Will - or whatever his real name was - took a deep breath but didn't look up. "She's right," he told her. "I'm nothing like who I was here."

Emma just stared. He looked like the man she said goodbye to at the hospital, but he definitely didn't sound the way he should. The accent was throwing her for a loop although she had to admit it was a little bit attractive. "Why do you sound British?"

"This is how I'm supposed to sound, love."

"Love? What happened to darlin'?"

He just smirked at her. "That's just my style, _love_," he said, putting an extra note of sarcasm on the end of his sentence as he stared at her.

Emma stood there in disbelief, trying to take it all in. Her world was completely off balance and she had hoped Will would at least be a steadying force to help her figure it all out. Instead, she felt like she was on a boat adrift in the sea with no oar to steer her in the right direction.

Emma's legs began to feel weak and the only place she could think to find comfort was on the sidewalk with him. She sat down next to the wall, putting her back against it next to whomever it was she had been carrying on a relationship with. Her fingers instinctively reached for the bend of his elbow, trying to pull him close and make him feel real. He instinctively pulled away from her.

"So what happens now?" she asked, staring at him intently. "I mean, if you're a fairy tale or whatever, aren't we supposed to have a happy ending?"

He just scoffed at her. "Not every fairy tale has a happy ending, Swan."

"Swan?" she asked incredulously. "You're kidding me with this right now. My name is Emma. I fell asleep in your arms last night listening to you whisper 'Emma' in my ear. You've always called me Emma!"

He looked back at her with dark eyes and she could tell his heart was breaking as well.

"Why can't this be a new start for you? You don't have to go back to being who you used to be, Will." He cringed at his name on her lips - or at least his old name - and she could only stare back at him. "What did you do that was so bad that you can't get away from it?"

He turned away, too ashamed to even look her in the eyes. She wanted to reach out but knew he would just pull away again. She wanted to say something that would change his mind but nothing had worked so far. She wanted so much for him to understand that she didn't care about his past because he was her present. If he hadn't held her past against her, then why wouldn't she do the same for him?

"Emma!" She turned to see David in the street, walking towards her with a look of urgency on his face. "There's a crowd headed to the Evil Queen - ah, Regina's house. I hate to admit it, but I think we need to go and protect her."

"Seriously?" she asked incredulously.

David nodded. "You are the sheriff," he said. "And we don't already want an out-of-control mob on our hands when the curse only has been broken for a few hours."

She sighed and pushed herself up from the sidewalk. Then she looked down at the man she had known as Will, a man who now looked broken and raw. "This conversation isn't over."

He just shook his head and looked up at her. "Yes, it is, Swan," he said quietly. "Go. Your father needs you."

She kneeled down in front of him. "Look at me," she commanded before his eyes met hers again. "This. Is not. Over."

She stood up and walked over to David standing in the street waiting for her. They began to move briskly towards Regina's house with Emma hoping she could at least calm the mob down quickly before chaos began to take over Storybrooke. She only wished it would be as easy to subdue the chaos taking control of her life.


	7. Chapter 7

Walking into the apartment that evening with Henry, Mary Margaret and David - her parents! - was awkward and strange and still something she was having trouble wrapping her head around. It was all just so bizarre.

And now they were together when only a few short months ago, she was alone in Boston. She had a job as a bail bonds person, she had an apartment that she went home to every night. And now she was in Storybrooke with her son and her parents who were as old as she was.

And then there was the case of Will - or whomever he was. After seeing him on the street, she was too busy dealing with Regina and the angry mob in front of her house to dwell on the gorgeous man she had been spending so much time with. That may have actually been for the better at that moment because apparently, he was also the gorgeous man whose life before Storybrooke was much different than the life she knew he led. But now, she so desperately wished he was here.

The apartment had become stifling anyway and Emma felt the need to bolt in every limb of her body. She needed some fresh air and the cool feeling of the night against her skin. And most important, she needed to not be here.

"Can you do me a favor?" she asked her newly found parents.

"Anything!" her roommate - and mother - quickly said in reply.

"Can you hang out with Henry for awhile?" she explained. "I need to go for a walk and clear my head a bit."

Mary Margaret walked over and grabbed her hand. "Of course," she said, squeezing Emma's fingers lightly before letting go so her daughter could get her coat on.

Emma could tell she wanted to say something more but couldn't. None of them really could say anything to explain the feeling of awkwardness that was surrounding them. Instead, Emma pulled her hair out of the collar of her coat and started to head for the door. David quietly opened it for her, which only reminded her of the way Will had done the same thing for her on their first date.

Then her father gave her a hug. "We love you, Emma," he whispered in her ear.

"I know," she replied, her hand giving his arm a warm touch before she quickly closed the door behind her and walked out into the cool air.

The sun was setting over the horizon as she walked down the street, looking at every shop and every person in a new light. Was that guy a fairy tale character too? Did the baker own a bakery in the Enchanted Forest? She hoped things hadn't been too weird for them after she broke the curse. She was causing herself enough anguish with what she had realized about the people in this town and their relationships to her. She hoped it wasn't worse for the people she hadn't met yet who were also now living in this strange world in limbo between this realm and another.

Emma decided to head over to the docks, thinking the breeze off the water and the sound of the waves on the rocks would calm her nerves. But as she got closer, her heart began to pound when she noticed the imposing ship masts looming above the marina. They had definitely not been there before and she wondered what else had been brought to town after the curse broke besides the townspeople's old memories.

The ship began to loom larger and larger over her as he made her way to it. It looked like an older vessel, almost like a Colonial war ship or a pirate ship. There was a gangplank leading up to the deck of the boat and she could make out a figure sitting at the bow of the ship, staring out over the water, their face obscured by the dying light as the sun was setting over the harbor.

Emma began to walk up the gangplank, her hand casually sitting on the gun at her hip in case the person was one of Regina's henchman or some dastardly villain who Henry believed had been cursed to this town with some of the nicer inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest.

As she got to the top, she could see the ornate details on the rails of the ship and the deck made out of worn wood. It was all so magical that she almost started to think that breaking the curse may actually have some benefits. She could imagine sitting on the deck of the ship in the warm sun enjoying the summer breeze that would catch the sails out on the ocean.

"You're not as stealthy as you claim to be, Swan."

She froze, caught off guard by the man's voice, then quickly recognizing that it belonged to Will - or whomever he was now. It took her a few moments to shake off the shock of hearing it coming from this ship.

"Uh … permission to come aboard, I guess?"

She saw his shoulders hunch over as if some imaginary weight had been placed over them, burdening him with pain. "Aye," he said quietly.

Emma walked slowly but deliberately across the deck until she reached him. He was still wearing the jeans and t-shirt she had seen him in earlier, but over that was a long black leather duster with buttons down both sides, a high collar and embroidered cuffs. His right hand held a dark-colored flask and was filled with silver rings - also things she had never seen on him. And on his left arm instead of his typical prosthetic hand was a leather brace with something shiny and metallic.

"What the hell?" she muttered. "You're not … are you …?"

He turned to her, giving her a stern look, and for the first time she noticed the black eyeliner around his piercing blue eyes, making them stand out even more than usual. "Captain Hook at your service, m'lady," he said in a serious tone before giving her a slight bow of his head and a flourish of his hand.

This was too much. This was all too much. Her mother was Snow White, her father was Prince Charming and now she was coming to the realization that she had been dating a pirate. And not just any pirate. No, this was Captain Hook. She had sex with Captain Hook this morning.

Her knees began to weaken again as they did on the street when she first saw him after the curse broke. And like earlier, she tried to find comfort in sitting next to a man she thought she had been falling in love with, a man that was slowly turning into a stranger.

"What's in the flask?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"Rum," he mumbled.

"Seriously?" she asked incredulously, eliciting an eyebrow raise from Hook that looked very similar to the ones that Will used to jokingly give her. "Right," she said. "You're a pirate."

He raised the flask to his mouth and took a drink. "That I am, love," he answered, his lips shimmering with the liquor in the dusk light.

She put her hand out to him. "Could I have some?"

Hook looked at her and smirked before reluctantly handing it over. The rum from the flask was smooth and sweet and better than any Emma had ever had. She savored the feeling of it going down her throat before gently offering the flask back to its owner.

The wind was calm and not too harsh, but it still sent shivers down Emma's spine as she sat on the deck of this majestic ship. "So," she said finally, trying to break the tension in the air between them.

"So," Hook replied curtly before taking another drink from his flask.

"You're a pirate."

He gave her another smirk and she realized there was something more dark about these than the ones Will had given her. "I think we've established that, lass."

Emma waved her hand casually in the air. "And this is your ship?" she asked.

"Aye, the Jolly Roger," he explained proudly. "Fastest ship in all the realms. She can chase down any vessel in the water as if it were at a stand still." Hook leaned closer to her and Emma could smell the rum on his breath. "The captain's quarters are quite remarkable on this ship compared to others if you would like to see them."

Emma stared in shock. That was definitely not something that Will would've ever said to her and she realized she was potentially drifting into dangerous territory. Apparently, the Captain Hook she had seen in that Disney cartoon movie as a kid was not even close to being as inappropriate and flirtatious as the one sitting next to her.

"Maybe another night," she said, trying to casually brush off the eccentric pirate with a tight smile. "So where has your ship been this whole time?"

Hook shrugged. "How the bloody hell would I know? She hasn't been with me, that's for sure."

"So when the curse broke, it brought back everyone's memories and your ship?"

The pirate looked over and smiled. "Apparently so," he said. "I owe you a debt of gratitude for that I suppose. Although I do have to wonder why I got my ship back but my hand is still missing," he said, raising his hook. "You couldn't bring that back when you broke the curse?"

Emma gave him a sarcastic smile and rolled her eyes. "I have no idea. It's not like I had control over any of this."

"Really?" Hook said in mock surprise as he leaned closer, making her realize that unlike Will, this pirate had no sense of personal space. "I thought you were the savior," he whispered.

She broke eye contact him, looking out over the bay. "I don't really know what that means," she said quietly.

"Well, that makes everything much better then," he answered sarcastically before taking another drink of rum.

Seriously? How the hell was she supposed to know how any of this works? She just showed up in town and broke a curse. She didn't know these people - again. She knew who they were, sure, but she didn't really know them. And she definitely didn't know who exactly Captain Hook was and where all this was going.

She needed another drink and wordlessly stuck her hand out to him. Luckily, he hadn't become bitter enough towards her yet to withhold his rum when she needed it. After taking another sip, she returned it to him and noticed the tattoo once again on his arm.

"So who's Milah?"

His hand slowly took the flask back from her. "Someone I loved very much."

"Who died in a car accident?"

His jaw clenched and he swallowed hard, his eyes lifting to look out at the water in front of them. "No," he said reluctantly. "She was killed on the deck of my ship by the husband she had abandoned. And then that crocodile cut off my hand."

"Crocodile?" she asked. "Her husband was a crocodile."

"Not an actual crocodile," he said, sneering.

"Well, I don't know," she replied defensively. "I told you I have no idea what's going on here."

"He was a man, Swan," he said sarcastically before his voice dramatically became serious. "To be fair, when he killed her he wasn't a man anymore. He was the Dark One."

She stared at Hook, the words making his whole body practically hum with anger. "Who was her husband?"

"Rumplestiltskin."

"The guy who spins straw into …" The words got stuck in her throat and she had to take deep breaths to slow down her speeding heart. "Her husband was Mr. Gold."

"Aye."

"He was the one that cut off your hand?"

Hook took a deep breath and exhaled, turning to look out across the horizon away from her.

"But now that you're in this world, you won't go after him, will you?" she asked.

He turned to stare at her. "I will," he said threateningly. "I will make sure he pays for what he did to her and what he did to me. To my heart." Hook pointed forcefully at his chest. "He destroyed what I held dearest. And since the day he took Milah from me, my aim has been nothing but revenge."

Emma shook her hand. "You can't do that," she said.

"Oh really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows defiantly. "Who's going to stop me, Swan? You?"

"You know as sheriff, I can't let you do it. And as your friend ..." Her voice trailed off trying to decide if they were even that anymore. "You can't do it. You're not a murderer."

"What do you know?" Hook yelled at her, his voice rising in anger. "What do you know about me? What do you know about the life I lived on this ship or what I did to seek my revenge?"

"I know who you were," she said sternly. "I knew Will. There is still a part of him in you. There has to be something in there that realizes killing Gold is wrong." Emma put her hand on his only to have him quickly pull away. "Please tell me there is still some part of him that can bring you back from this."

"I'm sorry, Emma," he said, his voice low and dark. "I can't be that person anymore."

It was still too hard to comprehend who this person was in front of her. She knew she had been falling for him and had tried to push aside the idea that he would leave her just like every other man. But unlike those guys, his current abandonment of her seemed to be more reluctant than willing, as if he was trying to protect her. She only wished he could see the pain he was causing her was greater than any pain she would feel now that she knew who he really was. At least, that's what she hoped to be true.

"I should get going," she said slowly and reluctantly before standing to zip up her coat. "Can you just promise me that for now you'll put this whole idea of revenge on hold? You know, maybe get some perspective?"

He looked out over the bow of his ship, his jaw visibly clenching. "I can't promise you that."

"Will -"

"It's Hook," he replied through clenched teeth.

"Hook -"

"It's late, Swan," the pirate said, cutting her off and getting up from his seat to walk towards her, his body once again invading her personal space. "You should go," he said pointedly, his eyes almost staring into her soul.

Emma could feel a tingling in her throat and she had to swallow hard to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. She simply nodded.

"Good night, Captain."

She turned and walked away with determination in her steps, hoping they would fool him into thinking she was fine and that he wasn't affecting her heart the way he was.


	8. Chapter 8

Emma quickly scarfed down her scrambled eggs and hash browns, then stuffed her paperwork into her bag. She paid the bill and left her usual 20 percent tip even though it wasn't Will taking her order that morning. She had to give Ruby credit for picking up the slack now that her former co-worker no longer showed up to his job. To be fair, she didn't think Ruby would want to work with Captain Hook and she was also fairly sure that Captain Hook didn't want to really work with anyone much less Little Red Riding Hood.

Emma walked out past the tables in front of Granny's Diner - the tables she was standing next to when Will had first asked her out. It all seemed like such a blur as if it was someone else's life. Maybe it was. After all, Will's life wasn't really his life anymore, was it?

She had seen Hook a few times since their discussion on his ship that night two weeks ago. Luckily, he had laid low since then - something she was grateful for. The last thing she wanted to do was arrest him for murdering Mr. Gold. To be fair, she wouldn't be arresting Will if that happened but even if he wasn't totally the same person, it was still hard for her to separate Will from Hook sometimes.

The last time Emma saw him was two nights ago in the grocery store. She was picking up some ingredients for taco night with Henry when she unexpectedly saw Hook standing in the aisle staring at the jars of Peter Pan peanut butter with a clear look of disgust on his face. He was wearing his long leather jacket with black leather pants and a black shirt she hadn't seen yet that was practically unbuttoned to his navel. And then of course there was the hook on his left hand, the shiny metal matching his huge belt buckle that drew her eyes to a spot she shouldn't have been drawn to. For some reason, seeing him like that in all his pirate spendor made her heart beat faster and her temperature rise.

Then she would remember that he's Captain Hook and just because he looked like Will or sounded like him didn't mean her attraction to the pirate was the same as her attraction to her former lover. Emma had to turn and head down the frozen food aisle, hoping the freezers would cool her down and quiet her heart.

Today, she wished there was a frozen food aisle in the middle of Main St. because as she walked to the sheriff's station, she looked up to see him walking towards her, his leather duster following him like a superhero cape - or rather a villainous one in this case. He looked up and she could tell he saw her too. But rather than approach her or simply pass her by, he quickly made a point to cross the street and duck down an alleyway. She sighed and took a deep breath, reminding herself that he wasn't hers anymore - or rather as Hook, he never really was hers in the first place.

She opened the door to the sheriff's station a little more forcefully than usual and saw David - her father - look up from his desk.

"Rough morning already?" he said, arching an eyebrow in her direction.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, unceremoniously dropping the bag of paperwork on top of her desk before ripping her coat off and haphazardly throwing it on top of the file cabinet.

She could hear David's chair scrape the floor as he pushed himself away from his desk, his footsteps echoing in the empty office. "I already made some coffee for us and my reports from the patrol last night are on your desk."

"How exciting. More paperwork," she said sarcastically. "You know, I'm the sheriff. Why can't I just make a rule to abolish paperwork?"

Her father give her a sympathetic smile. "I think a change like that would require approval from the mayor."

"Lovely. I'll get right on that."

"Emma," he said, taking a slow breath. "Are you OK?"

"Aside from the paperwork, I'm fine," she said as she dropping herself down in her desk chair.

"No, I mean earlier when you came in all upset," he said before hesitating for a moment. "Listen, I know we're still trying to figure out exactly how this relationship should work, but you should feel free to talk to me if you need to."

She simply nodded her head quietly despite the loud pounding of her heart from seeing Hook. "Thank you," she said politely, "but I'm still not there yet."

David nodded in return and quietly walked back to his desk to shuffle papers around while Emma did the same in her office. She wondered if either of them were really getting any work done at all or if they were just going through the motions of the job to fill the awkward silence that would settle on the office like today.

As the day went on though, they casually began to talk more and David even cracked a few jokes that made Emma genuinely laugh. They asked each other about open cases or compared notes on new ones that had come in. After the curse initially broke, there had been a flood of calls for various reasons involving people whose lives had been turned upside down. There were parents who had children raised by other people or missing persons reports for those still trying to find their pre-curse loved ones. Emma and David had even been called to Regina's house at various times to calm down groups of Storybrooke citizens who were mad at the mayor and what she had done to them.

And there were the calls about Mr. Gold himself. Apparently, the pawn shop owner had filled his store with the wares of the people who had been cursed and was then demanding payment from those same citizens to get their personal items out of his shop and back into their possession. Emma had been called more than once to the shop because there was another item that Gold had "stolen" from its original owner and wouldn't give back. There were also the calls from Gold himself because another "unsatisfied customer" had threatened him with violence or had tried to "steal" from him when really they were only trying to get their things back.

And so the typical day at the sheriff's station - at least what you could consider "typical" in a cursed fairytale town - continued to be typical. Around six o'clock that night, Emma had finally had enough of the paperwork and the boredom and started to pack up.

"You ready to go home soon?" she asked David.

He smiled at her. "With you?" he asked. "Sold!"

_What a dorky dad thing to say_, she thought. It was still odd to have this relationship with him, but then moments like these made her feel a little better. It was as if they actually had a chance to be that normal family down the street that she had so desperately wanted as an orphaned child.

She turned the light off in her office and locked the door. David closed up his desk drawers and was about to head out with her when the main phone line for the sheriff's department rang. He grabbed the phone off his desk, quickly answering with, "Storybrooke Sheriff's Department."

She couldn't hear the conversation on the other end, but David's half of it was worrying her. "He's where? What's he doing? OK, see if you can get him to calm down. Emma and I will be right there."

He hung up the phone with a look of worry on his face. "That was Granny," he said quickly as he grabbed his coat. "It's about Hook."

Emma froze. This was the call she was hoping wouldn't come though. "What happened?" she said. David didn't acknowledge her question, instead quickly pushing past her as he hurried toward the door. "David!" she yelled at him. "What happened to him?"

David reached back and quickly grabbed her hand. "Hook is standing in the middle of Main St. with a gun pointed at Mr. Gold. We have to go!"


	9. Chapter 9

Emma's heart was pounding, but that had less to do with Hook and more to do with the fact that she was sprinting down the block after David. Fortunately, her days as a bail bonds person taught her how to easily keep up with the criminals. In this case, however, she was following her father.

Emma could see Main St. only a block away and feared she would hear a gunshot from the road before she was able to get there and stop Hook. Even though she was finally starting to accept that he was a different person, she desperately hoped that there was a little bit of Will left in him that would stop him from murdering Gold. As she got closer, she luckily could only hear his yelling.

"I told you I would have my revenge and now it's time for you to see what I'm capable of, crocodile!"

Emma's eyes finally landed on Hook standing in the middle of the street, cars stopped in both directions with their headlights shining on him. He steadied his hand and Emma saw the light reflect off the gun he was holding. His words had been loud and bitter and if she didn't calm things down, the whole street was going to explode.

"Hook! No!" she yelled, running towards him into the road.

"Get out of here, Swan! This doesn't concern you."

"Oh, isn't this sweet?" Gold asked from behind her. "The sheriff has arrived just in time to save her darlin' waiter from doing something stupid."

Emma spun quickly, her blonde hair whipping over her shoulders. "Shut up! I don't need you egging him on!" she yelled at Gold, her finger making a dramatic chop through the air directly at the pawn shop owner and his Belle standing next to him.

"Oh yes," Gold said in a sarcastic tone. "Because you're here to save him, aren't you? Just like the rest of the miserable people in this town."

"You're the one who put a fail safe in the curse, jackass," she said darkly. "You're the one who made me the savior. So how about you shut the hell up and let me do my job!"

Gold's eyes narrowed. "Your job as sheriff or your job as savior?" he said with a sneer, that final word - "savior" - dripping from his mouth.

She just stood there staring at him while trying to assess the situation. She couldn't tell if Hook's target was Gold or Belle by the way he was pointing his gun, but the intent was clear.

"Swan! Are you going to stand there all night or can I finish off the crocodile?"

Emma turned to look at Hook and saw a dark fire in his eyes. This was not going to be easy. "Hook, please. Just put the gun down."

His eyes continued to stare ahead at the crocodile and his love. "Swan, go home to your Charming family. This doesn't concern you."

She turned to look at David, who was still standing on the side of the road watching her. He swallowed and gave her a nod - his way of trying to tell her that he believed in her. She slowly walked closer to Hook, his hand still steady with the gun.

"I don't want to put you in jail for murder," she explained calmly.

"Oh, what horrors lie inside the Storybrooke jail?" Hook replied sarcastically. "Believe me, Swan. I've seen worse."

She could hear Gold tap his cane on the ground behind her. "Do I have to stand here all night listening to the princess and the pirate prattle on or can we get this over with?"

"I would love to finish this, crocodile," Hook answered, raising his arm towards the pawn shop owner.

"No!" Belle yelled from Gold's side. "Please don't!"

"Oh, don't worry, dearie, he won't," Gold said, a sneer crossing his face. "The pirate here doesn't have the _heart_ to pull the trigger."

"Stop it!" Emma yelled. "Just stop it!"

She took a leap of faith, hoping Hook at least still had some sort of feelings for her. She walked towards Gold, putting herself directly between the man and the gun pointed in his direction.

"Belle, take him home now. Do you understand?"

Belle nodded. "C'mon, Rumple. Emma is right. It's time for us to go," she said gently.

"Go? But I'll miss the best part," he replied. "You know, the part where the pirate realizes he really can't defeat someone with magic."

Belle grabbed his hand and he immediately turned to look at her. "Please, let's go home. For me."

His features began to soften and Emma could tell there was conflict in him about what he should do. "Belle wants you to go and I need you to, Gold," she explained.

Gold stared, trying to unsettle her, but Emma just stared back. She was the sheriff of this town and she was determined to win this fight.

She could hear Hook's leather as he moved behind her. "Swan, pirates murder and plunder so if you please, I'd like to get this job done."

But Emma continued to stare at Gold. "Are you going to leave?"

"Rumple, please?" Belle asked.

"I'm sorry, dearie, but he has to pay."

Gold started to walk towards Hook and Emma could see this was going to escalate quickly.

"Stop!" she told Gold. "Don't walk any closer!"

"Or what, dearie?" he said, a sneer on his lips and a swagger in his step as he approached the sheriff.

Emma felt something strange, as if her body was becoming charged with electricity. He was within arm's reach and she instinctively put her hand up to stop him. Then she felt her fingers catch fire and Gold immediately jumped back as if he had been physically shocked by her. His eyes widened and he stared at her, looking surprised for the first time that night.

"Well, it seems you can back up your threats, sheriff," he said, a curious sneer in his voice.

Emma gave him a confused look. "So you're going to leave?"

Gold stared at her with a curious look on his face. "I guess you just have the magic touch," he replied, emphasizing the word "magic" in a way that made Emma feel strange. "Perhaps you're right, Ms. Swan. Maybe we'll have to just do this again some other time."

"How about never?" Emma replied curtly.

Gold nodded and turned back towards Belle. "We'll see," he said mockingly. He grabbed Belle's hand and smiled at her. "Let's go home."

"I think that's a good plan," she said, genuinely smiling back at him.

Emma watched them go and took a deep breath, hoping that the stand off was over. But then she heard the pirate behind her.

"What the hell?" Hook yelled. "Get back here, you coward! This isn't over!"

Emma turned and saw him stomping down the road towards her. "Stop," she said quietly.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

She held her hand out - carefully this time for some reason - and gently placed it on his chest. "This is over. Go home."

For the first time that night, she finally saw Hook look at her. "You mean my ship where that bastard killed the woman I loved?" he said, gesturing wildly down the street towards Gold with the gun still in his hand.

"That's the one," Emma replied, determined to stand her ground in front of the pirate.

He glared at her, then scratched the back of his ear with the gun still in his hand. "That's brilliant, Swan. Absolutely brilliant. I've spent 300 years trying to find a way to defeat him and I'm just going to stand here and watch him go because the Sheriff Princess is too stubborn to get out of my way."

Emma furrowed her brow. "300 years?"

"Neverland," Hook answered with a lilt that made it sound like the answer should've been totally obvious.

Emma shook her head to clear her thoughts. She would have to deal with that information later. In the meantime, she needed to get the pirate moving. "Let's get out of the street and we can talk about this, OK?"

"Talk?" he asked. "Talk? Are you bloody kidding me? There is nothing to talk about! I'm trying to kill the Dark One to avenge Milah's death and you decided to stick your … entire body where it didn't belong!" he said, waving his hand - and his gun - in Emma's general direction.

"Hook, just put the gun down before you do something stupid."

"Revenge is not stupid, Swan!"

Emma could see the crowd on the sidewalk getting larger. She needed to get him off the street and somewhere that wasn't here. "Let's go, Hook."

"I'll go when I want to, wench!"

_Wench?_ That was it. Emma had seriously had enough of this. She pulled her weapon out of its holster and pointed it at him - with the safety on, although he didn't have to know that. "Get out of the street, Hook!"

Hook sneered and put his hands up mockingly. "Fine, sheriff," he said, walking over to the sidewalk. He turned to look at her. "Now what?"

"Put the gun on the ground. Slowly!"

Hook leaned over and placed the gun on the ground with a ceremonial flourish. "Is that better, sheriff?"

"Not quite," Emma said as she put her gun back in her holster.

She wasn't about to let the captain just walk away, not after everything he had tried to do that night. Resisting the orders of the sheriff was the last straw. In one quick move, she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, pinning him up against the wall with his hand behind his back. Then she grabbed her handcuffs from her belt. "You're under arrest," she said, snapping the cuffs on his right wrist and the brace holding his hook.

"For what?"

"Attempted murder with an unlicensed weapon," she said, before leaning closer to him, her lips grazing his ear. "And you didn't follow instructions given to you by the sheriff."

"And so you feel the need to _lock me up_, officer?" he asked, a sensual tone dripping from his voice. "How risque."

"Not tonight, pirate," she said. She forcefully pulled him away from the wall and began to push him down the street towards the sheriff's station.

Any other night and she may find his banter amusing or attractive. After all, she had in the past with some of the men she dragged in after they skipped bail on her. But tonight was not one of those nights and Hook was definitely not one of those men.


	10. Chapter 10

The walk back to the sheriff's station was brisk and a bit cool with the spring night air blowing gently through Emma's hair as she walked next to Hook. Her hand held onto his elbow to direct him where to go - something she had done on her first date with Will. She tried to control her feelings and remind herself that things were different, at least for now.

Before the curse, they had at least gotten far enough in their relationship that the silence between them wasn't awkward. But tonight, Emma was unnerved by it. It probably didn't help that unlike Will, Hook had almost killed someone.

The door to the station was unlocked with the lights on and Emma found David behind his desk. He had kept some distance between them, walking ahead of Emma and her perp to get the station open before they arrived.

"Need some help?" David asked, rising from his desk chair to stare at the pirate.

"It's OK," she replied casually. "I've got this."

Emma led Hook over to the jail cell and put him in, slamming the door behind him. The loud "bang" as it shut made both of them jump a bit and it was then that Emma realized how on edge she was after dragging Hook out of the street and back to her office.

She turned to see David still standing there, staring at her as if he was waiting for her cue on what to do next. "Why don't you head home to see Mary Margaret," she said. "I'm sure she wonders where you are."

David gave her a worried look. "I can call her and stay with you until you're done here."

She thought about the offer but still felt there were things she needed to say to Hook - alone - especially after the event in the street. "I can handle him."

David nodded and pulled on his coat. He gave Emma a concerned father look before telling her to call if she needed anything. "Really, anything," he emphasized.

"I will."

He stared at her, giving her one last chance to have him stay, and then finally walked out. She waited until she heard the door close behind him before turning to focus on the pirate in her holding cell. It was bad enough that she had to deal with a potentially homicidal pirate in Storybrooke. It was worse that he was her ex-boyfriend - sort of. She still hadn't figured out exactly what the logistics were for officially breaking up with someone who was under a curse.

"Come over by the door and turn around," she commanded and he did what he was told. With his back to her, she pulled the handcuffs closer to the door and unlocked them. Her hand brushed against his and he briefly clasped it before she slipped it out with the handcuffs through the bars.

She sat down on the desk in front of the cell, dropping the cuffs next to her, and looked at the pirate. "So you want to tell me what that was all about?"

Hook turned around in his cell to look back at her. "I think it's obvious, don't you, lass?"

"I thought I asked you to not go after Gold," she said sternly.

Hook sneered at her. "And I thought I said I couldn't promise that I would stay away."

Emma looked down at her feet dangling off the side of the desk and took a deep breath. "How were you even Will if this is who you are now?"

"Regina has a unique sense of humor," he answered sarcastically.

Emma sighed, wishing the pirate was actually taking this conversation seriously. "So let me get this straight," she said. "You only dated me because the Evil Queen had a sense of humor when she cast a curse and made you a nice waiter."

"I didn't mean it that way, love," he replied earnestly.

Emma's hand formed into a fist on top of the desk and she could feel her nails digging into the palm of her hand. She took a breath to calm herself down, trying to swallow what she really wanted to say to him. She was losing that fight. No matter how much she didn't want to expose herself to Hook at this moment, it was going to come out anyway.

"You broke my heart," she said quietly. "I know it's not your fault, I know, but I'm angry and there's no one to blame."

"What do you mean?"

She looked up at him and immediately saw his blue eyes staring back into her soul. "I was happy," she said quietly. "I was really happy. I had finally found someone that I could trust again who could make me feel good. And he left me like all the other men before him."

Hook sighed and she could see the sadness begin to pool in his eyes. "He … I … It wasn't you, love," he stammered. "I know it's a cliche, but it wasn't you."

Emma ducked her head and scoffed quietly. "So who was it?" she asked. "I can't be mad at you because you didn't ask to have that cursed life. And I can't be mad at Will because he's gone, which isn't his fault. So who can I be angry with?"

"You can be mad at me. That's fine," Hook said. "I don't want to be the waiter anyway so just blame me. I am a pirate after all."

Emma gave him a small smile. "But were you ever really a waiter or just a cursed pirate serving breakfast?"

Hook stepped closer to the bars and looked at her. "I was someone who was falling in love with you. I promise you those feelings were real."

"But they weren't real enough for you to have them after the curse?"

"I didn't say that," he said quietly.

Emma stood up and looked at him, her heart pounding as she took a step closer to the cell. "So what? They just aren't strong enough to put the past behind you so you can move forward with me?"

Hook's eyes softened, a look of depression falling on his face. "I can't go back to Will's life because of me," he said. "I was just borrowing it anyway. It was never really mine."

"I was yours," Emma replied, her words barely making it out of her throat.

Hook's voice was quiet as he stood near the bars, trying not to touch them. "You belonged to Will," he said. "I'm a villain and I've been that way since I became a pirate. We don't get happy endings and we sure as bloody hell don't get to spend our lives with women who could truly be ours."

"What about Milah?"

Hook inhaled sharply. "She died, didn't she?" he said bitterly.

Emma stared at the man in her cellblock. He seemed to be in pain but not as much as her. It was becoming obvious to Emma that no matter what she could say or do, there was no way to get back to where they had been - or at least, where she had been with him before she became The Savior of Storybrooke.

"So this is it?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, love," he replied in a hushed tone.

Emma scoffed. "Yea, sure."

"Swan, I am sorry," he pleaded. "But I can't be the person you deserve."

Emma stared down at her feet again. There was nothing really left to say to him - and nothing left for him to say. She couldn't tell him to drop the Hook thing. She couldn't have Will back. She couldn't find a way to mend the crack in her heart.

She pushed herself off the desk to leave. There was a nagging question in the back of her mind since she talked to Hook on his ship all those lonely nights ago. Tonight, though, after everything that had transpired, it had pushed its way to the front. She turned to see the pirate casually standing in his cell, hook resting on his hip with the other hand on his belt buckle.

"I've been wondering about something," she said, walking slowly towards the cell.

"What's that, lass?"

"Do you think Will could've ever fought for me the way you have for Milah?"

Hook's eyes quickly pulled away from hers. Emma could see him swallow hard and take a deep breath before looking back up at her. "I would've done that for you," he answered quietly.

A lump began to form in Emma's throat and she could feel the tears threatening to pool in her eyes. "It doesn't matter what you would've done," she said calmly. "You're not Will, are you?"

She turned to grab her coat off the back of a chair but paused when she heard her name.

"Emma."

She took a deep breath to compose herself. "David will be here in the morning to bring you some breakfast," she said, putting her arms in the sleeves of her red jacket.

"Emma," Hook replied, walking towards the door and putting his hand around the bar. "Don't leave," he pleaded.

She took another breath. "Goodbye," she said before turning to walk out of the station.

"Swan, where are you going?" the pirate asked. "Swan." She could hear the door rattling as he shook it. "Swan!" he yelled at her. "Swan!"

His yelling was muffled as the front door to the station closed behind her and Emma pulled the keys out of her pocket to lock it up for the night. She quickly walked to the patrol car still parked in the back lot, slid in on the soft worn leather seat and closed the door quietly behind her. Then she looked around to see if anyone had seen her and when she realized she was alone, she started to cry, letting out an occasional sob that she had given up trying to control.

She had held out a little hope that perhaps Hook wasn't going to go back to his fairy tale ways. Perhaps he was going to decide to stay in the light. Maybe he would even fully go back to being Will - only with eyeliner and a major wardrobe change. But after tonight, she had to finally accept that it wasn't going to happen. Will, the sweet, charming, attractive man she had allowed herself to actually care for, that Will was never coming back for her.


	11. Chapter 11

Summer had slowing creeped up on the residents of Storybrooke as it usually did in Maine. The temperatures were heating up, but the breeze off the ocean always kept the town cool and comfortable.

That's the biggest reason Emma had chosen to have breakfast with Henry that morning out on the patio in front of Granny's Diner. The bright sun also guaranteed she wouldn't go asleep and have her head fall into her eggs.

"What's with the coffee?" her son asked as he sliced another piece of french toast.

"I couldn't sleep last night," she answered before yawning widely.

Henry gave her a quizzical look. "Why not?"

_Ugh. Why did the kid have to be so inquisitive? _"I had a bad dream," she said. "You and I were in the Enchanted Forest and you had turned into … what would be something scary that you could turn into?"

"A werewolf?" he suggested.

Emma gave him a tired smile. "Sure, let's go with that," she said, taking a bite of her toast. "Just don't tell Ruby."

"Mom?" Henry asked, obviously not letting it go when clearly she was trying to change the subject.

Emma looked over his shoulder to see Regina walking up to the diner and she had never been so happy to for the mayor as she was at that moment. Henry's other mother quickly swooped in and gave him a hug, distracting the young boy from the subject of Emma's insomnia.

"Are you all ready to go?" the mayor asked. "I hope you didn't pack too much for the week. I thought it would be nice to walk over in the warm weather."

"I packed light this time," Henry replied, pushing his chair back from the table and grabbing his duffle bag from under the table. He looked at Emma, who was still sitting in her seat. "Should we hang out until you're done with your coffee?" he asked.

"Nope!" she said, perhaps a bit too quickly, before standing to say goodbye. "Come here and give me a hug."

Her son obliged and snuggled into her. "Make sure you get some sleep, OK?"

"I promise." She kissed him gently on the forehead and let him go.

Regina gave her a polite goodbye and Emma watched the two of them walk down the street, actually finding some happiness in seeing them together. It had taken some work for the mothers to come to an agreement about Henry and who he should live with. It had also taken some work for Henry to get Regina to start acting less evil, which was no easy task by any means. But Regina was trying, Henry was happy, and Emma found comfort in his joy. At least she had worked on getting that relationship right.

The pirate living on some ship in the bay was another matter. It had been a few months since she had said goodbye to Hook in that jail cell and luckily Gold decided not to press charges so she didn't have to see him whenever she was at work. But he was still haunting her. In fact, the real reason she was drinking strong black coffee this morning was because of the insomnia she battled last night after dreaming about him.

Last night's dream, for example, was definitely a new nightmare for her. In this one, she was dressed in a flowing ball gown, standing on the bow of the Jolly Roger. She felt the warm sun on her skin and the cool breeze blowing through her blonde hair. And then she felt someone by her side, sliding his hand into hers as if it was as natural as the ocean waves around them. But when she turned, it wasn't the pirate standing next to her. It was a man wearing blue jeans, a button down shirt and a black leather jacket. It was Will.

She woke up in a cold sweat and had to quietly pad into the kitchen to get a drink of water to slow her still racing heart. Of course, that didn't help and she spent the next three hours in bed staring at the clock trying not to think about the pirate she was thinking about.

Emma quickly reached for the almost empty mug still sitting on the table in front of her at Granny's, her gaze returning to the people passing by. It seemed so serene and peaceful to be sitting there lazily watching the people of this fairytale town walk past despite the torment in her head that she could never really shake.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," a voice said tentatively from behind her.

She turned to see Hook standing there - of course it would be him after the night she had. Emma gave him a lingering glance to take in his black pirate outfit, only without his long leather duster. Instead, he had put on a red embroidered vest over his usual black shirt, which was buttoned way too low as always, and a different belt slung low on his hips. His clothes accentuated all of the right places on his body that Emma was trying very hard not to think about.

She took a deep breath to steady her voice and turned back to the table to fidget with her empty coffee cup. "Hook."

"May I sit?" he asked.

She nodded without looking at him and he quickly slid into the seat opposite her that had been vacated by Henry.

"I come bearing gifts," he said, sliding a fresh cup of hot chocolate in front of her - without any cinnamon on top of the whipped cream melting in the mug.

"Not really a gift," she said, sliding the mug back towards him.

He gave her a mischievous smile and pulled out a pouch tucked into the small satchel attached to his leather belt. "Ah yes, the cinnamon," he said as he opened the pouch with a flourish and sprinkled some of its contents into the mug. "This is the best you'll taste in any of the realms. I found it while going through the inventory on my ship. We plundered quite the enemy, who apparently enjoyed gold and spices." He put an extra emphasis on "spices" as he slid the mug back towards her.

She gave him a quizzical look and he returned her gaze with a smile and a nod, encouraging her to take his peace offering. So she grabbed the mug and took a sip. He didn't lie - it really was some absolutely amazing cinnamon. But there was a nagging voice in the back of her head that made her think it came with a price. She remembered that night at the station and the realization that he really was a pirate and not the humble prince he was before the curse. And if there was one thing she had heard more and more as the town adjusted to this post-curse life, it was that everything comes with a price.

She sat the mug down and stared at the pirate across from her. "So why exactly are you sharing this with me?" she asked.

He slid the pouch over to her, placing it next to her hand on the table. "Call it a token of … good will."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Really?" she asked.

"I know, the irony," he replied with a smile. "But I saw it and immediately thought of you. I figured you would appreciate it more than anyone."

She took another sip of her delicious hot chocolate before setting it down on the table, her attention drawn back to the brown leather pouch. She fidgeted with the strings enclosing the top of it, running them through her fingers before feeling the soft leather they were attached to. Playing with the trinket seemed to allow her to ignore the growing uncomfortable silence between them. It was Hook who finally broke the tension with words she was not expecting.

"Have dinner with me."

"What?" she whispered.

The pirate laid his hooked hand on the table and leaned closer to her. "I don't do this often, love, so treasure it," he said quietly. "But I want to apologize for my previous actions. My revenge, while just, clouded my judgment and I hurt you in the process. I truly never meant to do that to you."

"And yet you did," Emma answered sarcastically.

Hook shifted in his seat, his tongue nervously running along his teeth. "Please at least let me make it up to you over dinner."

She scoffed at him. "Really?" she asked incredulously. "We're sitting on the same patio I was on when Will asked me out to dinner and we both know how _that_ turned out."

Hook shrugged his shoulders. "The tiramisu was pretty amazing, Swan."

Emma sighed. "I meant after that. You know, when my heart was broken."

A look of sadness crossed Hook's face and his shoulder hunched over. "I only ask for one dinner," he said quietly. "If you don't want to talk to me after that, I won't bother you anymore."

She leaned back in her seat and stared at him. "You won't bother me?"

"Not unless you want me to," he said, a smirk spreading across his face.

Emma rolled her eyes at the advancing pirate. She knew she shouldn't even be debating this. She knew she should just give him a firm "No" and be done with it. After all, he was the one who had done so much damage to her - at least indirectly - and dinner would just open wounds that she was trying to heal. But then she thought of her dream last night, realizing it was another sign that as much as she wanted it to be, this thing between them - whatever it was - wasn't completely over.

"Fine," she finally said. "Let's have dinner."

Hook smiled. "Now there's the adventurous Swan I know!" he said. "How about the Jolly Roger, say, tonight at 8?"

"Sure," she said, taking another sip of hot chocolate.

Hook's smile widened and he stood, bowing his head towards her. "It will be an honor, m'lady," he said before leaning over the table to look into her eyes. "You won't regret this, Swan."

She gave him a tentative glance. "We'll see."

He looked back at her with his piercing blue eyes that seemed brighter in the sunlight. "I'll see you tonight," he said before winking at her and turning on his heel to leave.

She watched him walk away before catching herself. It was a habit she apparently hadn't let go of from her days with Will so long along. She knew she shouldn't be doing it again even if the pirate was wearing tight leather pants and had ditched the coat that would block her view.

Her mind wandered, remembering the nights when she was able to see much more than that as she snuggled closer into Will's neck with the smell of his warm sheets filling her senses. She could tell the memory was affecting her as she felt the flush creeping into her cheeks despite the warm sun already in the sky.

_Dammit_, she thought, taking one last sip to get that extra mix of whipped cream and cinnamon from the bottom of the mug. She really hoped she wasn't going to regret agreeing to this. After all, one dinner couldn't erase everything that had happened since the curse broke, could it?

She put some cash and a tip for Ruby on the table under her plate so it wouldn't blow away. Then she grabbed the smooth leather pouch of cinnamon and slipped it into her purse, her mind lingering on the way he had said "spices" when he handed it to her before watching her lips as she drank from her mug, anticipating her reaction.

"Emma? You OK?"

She snapped out of her daydream to see Ruby standing next to her. "Oh, sorry. I … uh … didn't sleep well last night," she said, trying to focus on the waitress.

"I'll have a fresh pot of coffee ready for you at lunch," Ruby said.

Emma smiled and thanked her before saying goodbye and heading out for the sheriff's station. But the walk wasn't doing much to clear her head. She thought about the same path she had taken with Hook that night months ago after he had pulled a gun out in the street. She thought about the anger in his eyes that night, which was definitely not present when he asked her out to dinner this morning.

She wasn't sure if the dinner tonight would make her even more mad for all he had done or make her forgive him for his transgressions. Either way, she was headed for trouble.


	12. Chapter 12

"You can always cancel if you don't want to go," Mary Margaret said as Emma grabbed a light hoodie off the rack and threw it in her bag.

"No, I do want to go," she replied. "Just to, you know, hear what he has to say."

She turned back to see both Mary Margaret and David looking at her from their spot together in the kitchen. It was weird to see these people that were her age acting concerned as if they were her parents, especially considering they were her parents.

"You know we worry about you," David said. "So if you have any problems or need us to get you, you can just call us."

She shot them an exasperated look. "At what point are you going to start treating me like I'm an adult who has lived on her own for almost 30 years?"

Her father walked over and gave her a warm hug. "You can't blame Prince Charming for not trusting a pirate."

She just rolled her eyes in return before letting out a quiet laugh and quickly said her goodbyes. It was kind of adorable the way they had decided to be so protective of her since the curse broke, but she wasn't a teenager. She had lived by herself, spent time with men by herself, even caught some bad guys by herself.

Of course now she was walking towards a ship owned by a bad guy to have dinner with him.

The air was a bit cool but refreshing as she headed towards the pier. She tried not to get as dressed up as she had when she went to dinner for the first time with Will. This time, it was just her skinny jeans and black boots with a long-sleeved heather grey top. It was hardly something that would impress a man, but she still hoped she could get more than a passing glance from the pirate. Although to be fair, it wouldn't be that hard with him.

As she got closer to the harbor, she saw Hook standing on the deck of his ship, his black leather coat swaying slightly in the breeze. She kept her eyes on him for a minute or two, admiring his strong stance on the ship deck, before he finally turned and noticed her. She could see a smile form on his face that seemed to actually reach his eyes and make them bluer.

He began to walk towards the gangplank of his ship with a bit of a lightness in his step. "Good evening, Lady Swan!"

She had to give it to him - he definitely seemed to have become a bit more charming since she threw him in jail. "Permission to come aboard, captain?" she asked as he climbed up from the dock to the ship.

He bowed slightly and took her hand to help her aboard. "Behold the Jolly Roger, m'lady."

She looked at him and couldn't help but smile.

"I hope you didn't have trouble finding the place, Swan."

"It's hard to miss the only pirate ship in the bay."

He gave her a tight smile. "Come on, love. Let me get you something to drink," he said, putting his hand on the small of her back and leading her to the bow of the ship. "I was going to go for rum and then remembered that you aren't a pirate - yet. So perhaps some wine."

She gave him an encouraging look. At least he was trying. "Sure," she said, holding out her hand for an ornately etched silver wine goblet. "This seems kind of … excessive for a glass of wine."

"A pirate doesn't judge the taste level of the treasure he plunders," he said, raising his glass to wordlessly propose a toast. "To second chances," Hook said, holding his glass up to her.

Emma couldn't help but scoff. "You're going to need more than a second chance," she said teasingly.

"That's fair," he replied, clinking his goblet against hers. "I promise to do my best, Swan."

She took a sip from the goblet, tasting some of the best red wine she had ever had. "This is amazing," she said with a hint of surprise in her voice. "Where did you get this?"

He gave her a mischievous grin and leaned into her personal space. "Same place I got the goblets," he said, giving her a quick wink before turning back to the deck of his ship.

It was then that she realized there was a blanket spread out on the ship's deck that she must've walked past when she first arrived. There was a bouquet of flowers casually laid in the center with several small plates of food around them. Apparently, he had distracted her more than she expected.

"Do you like it?" he asked, a bit of apprehension in his voice. "I was going to get some candles as well but after being away from my ship for so long, the wood has dried out a bit. I don't believe dinner would be a success if I set the whole place on fire."

She let out a small laugh at his joke. "No," she said. "I guess that would be bad."

He gestured towards the blanket with his hooked hand. "Please, sit," he invited her.

She walked towards the blanket and found a nice spot near one of the corners closest to her. "Is this the blanket you took with us to the beach that night?" she asked.

He nodded timidly. "It had some good memories, didn't it?" he asked.

"It did," she responded quietly, her cheeks feeling warm from the memory of their make-out session on the beach all those months ago.

"Besides, pirate treasure doesn't usually include blankets so I suppose I have to keep using the one from Gold's shop."

"You got this from Gold?" she asked. "Am I going to get a call from someone in town telling me you took their pre-cursed blanket?"

He smiled. "Well, I did see one of the dwarves eyeing it suspiciously when I took it to the laundromat to get cleaned."

Emma made a mental note to try and see the pirate in all his leather glory standing among the washing machines and dryers the next time he needed something cleaned.

"I have a plate for you, love," he said, handing her a small silver tray that matched her goblet. She gently took it from his hands and began to help herself to the small plates he had already laid out on the blanket in front of them.

He joined her and the silence between them was soon filled with casual conversation. Hook talked about some of the work he did on his beloved ship since it was returned to him. Emma told him about the minefield she was trying to walk through learning how to deal with parents for the first time, especially when those parents were Prince Charming and Snow White.

After dinner was finished, a slight lull in the conversation brought on a smile from Hook. "So I believe the only way to end this dinner would be with something I know you'll enjoy," he said, arching an eyebrow towards her. "Wait here."

She gave him a puzzled look and watched as he headed down a hatch behind the wheel, his black leather pants clinging to all the right places. She assumed he was going down to his captain's quarters and became a bit concerned about what exactly he would bring up with him from below deck. But then he emerged with a small plastic food box with a delicious looking piece of tiramisu tucked inside. _He remembered_, Emma thought as a wave of warmth came over her.

"I missed seeing a smile like that from you, love," he said as he sat down across from her, pulling out two plastic forks and handing one to her.

She slowly sunk her fork into the dessert before taking a bite, tasting the cinnamon as the tiramisu melted in her mouth. They eased into another easy but superficial discussion, trading bites as the breeze began to pick up off the water. By the time Hook let Emma have the last bite, she was ready to grab the hoodie from her bag.

"I can lend you my coat, Swan," he offered.

"I'm OK," she said, zipping up the sweatshirt and stuffing her hands in the pockets. Even in the cool night, her palms were beginning to sweat. The night had been nice, but there were things she still hadn't been able reconcile in her mind about who exactly this pirate was in front of her. She just wasn't sure how - or if - she was going to ask them.

Hook must have easily been able to pick up on her apprehension and cleared his throat as if he was ready to tackle whatever it was. "So, Swan," he said "What do you want to ask?"

"Who said I wanted to ask anything?"

He gave her a tight smile. "You may not realize this, love, but you're a bit of an open book."

"Really?" she asked incredulously.

Hook shrugged and looked at her. "You deny you want to ask me something?"

"No," she responded quietly. _Damn him_.

"Open book," he replied. "So."

"So."

Hook waved his hand invitingly in front of him. "Your question, lass."

She swallowed and took a deep breath. "You don't seem to be the same pirate I threw into the cell in my office a few months ago."

"That's not a question."

She stared at him and took a deep breath. "What changed since I arrested you?"

Hook's features became serious and he looked away from her, his playfulness instantly disappearing. He began fidgeting with the rings on his right hand before taking a breath to look up at the wheel of his ship. "When I first got back here after being released from your brig, I sulked and couldn't do anything. But I've spent quite a bit of time working on the Jolly Roger this past month. I repaired some rips in the sails and fixed that bloody loose board on the deck. I took an inventory of everything in the ship's hold where I found your cinnamon." He smiled, then took a deep breath and looked at her. "I had all this time alone on my ship and instead of looking at maps or plotting my next course, I kept trying to find reasons to stay in port."

Emma gave him a sarcastic smile. "That sounds like you failed at being the captain of your own ship."

"It does, doesn't it?" he replied quietly.

"So what kept you in Storybrooke for so long?" Emma asked, fidgeting with the wine glass in front of her.

She could see his jaw tense slightly. Then he looked up at her with his piercing blue eyes. "I couldn't leave you."

Emma swallowed, trying to control her emotions. "You know, I was finally starting to get over Will."

He reached out and pulled her hand from the hoodie's pocket and placed it in his. He played with her fingers and she could feel his cool rings against her warm skin. "Emma, please don't ever get over me."

"I thought you and Will weren't the same person."

Hook smirked at her. "Perhaps we have more in common than I first wanted to admit," he explained. "You, for example."

She gave him a sad smile. "And what about that whole thing with you not being the person I deserve?" she asked quietly.

"That's still true, unfortunately," Hook said, slightly scoffing before looking up at her. "I don't deserve you, truly, but I want to become someone who does."

Hook slipped his hand from her grasp and tucked her long blonde hair behind her ear, then gently traced her jaw line with his thumb. She could feel herself melting into his touch and leaned her head into his palm.

The pirate's hand stilled and he hesitated for a moment before leaning in and gently kissing her. His lips working on hers were just as she remembered when she kissed Will and she could feel a warmth reigniting in her chest. He may have been going by a different name and wearing different clothes, but she could tell by his kiss that there really was a bit of Will's heart still in him.

Her hand came to rest on the thigh of his leather pants, her kiss deepening against his lips before they wordlessly slowed down and pulled away from each other. Hook's forehead was still resting on hers and she could feel his warm breath on her cheeks.

"Stay with me tonight," he said, his voice hoarse and almost pleading.

She wanted to, she really did, but she could feel the doubt creeping up in her that was trying to protect her from more heartbreak. "I can't."

"Emma, stay."

She pulled away from him and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I just …" She shook her head in an effort to get some clarity. "I'm not there yet."

He sat back, his hand slipping down from her face to cover the one she had left on his thigh. "Do you think you'll ever be there?"

"I hope so," she said - and she meant it.

His eyes rose and she could see the honesty in them. "I hope so too," he said. "Very much."

Emma gave him a small smile and ducked her head to avoid his glare. "I should probably get going," she said, sliding her hand slowly off his leg.

"You don't have to leave this early, Swan," he said.

"I do," she replied reluctantly, her mind swimming with thoughts that were too confusing for her to sort out without taking her leave.

He nodded. "I understand," he said quietly, a bit of disappointment creeping into his voice.

But Hook was a gentleman, standing up and giving Emma his hand to help her off the blanket. Her knees went a little weak as she stood and she couldn't be sure if it was because of the wine, the long time sitting on the blanket, or if it was just him.

"Can I at least walk you home?" he said quietly, his breath again dancing across her cheeks.

She just shook her head, imagining the kisses in front of her apartment door that would muddle her thoughts. "I'll be OK," she said. "It's not far."

Hook nodded and rather than protest, let her hand slip from his so he could lean over to grab her bag for her. "It was a pleasure having you on the Jolly Roger, love. I hope to see more of you here."

"More of me?" she asked in a flirtatious tone.

The pirate just raised an eyebrow. "You can take that to mean whatever you wish, _m'lady_," he said, putting an extra emphasis on the old-fashioned moniker as he took a bow in front of her, a playful smile blooming on his lips.

"Good night, Hook."

"Good night, my Swan."

He took her hand and helped her step over the threshold of his ship onto the gang plank and when she finally let go of him, her skin immediately felt cold where his warmth had lingered. She stuffed her hands in the pocket of her hoodie and turned to walk down the dock when she heard him yell at her.

"Swan!" She turned to see Hook standing at the top of the gangplank, the bouquet of flowers from the blanket in his hand. "You forgot these, love." He tossed the flowers down to her and she stared at them - the reds and whites of the daisies bright against the darkness in the bay. She smiled and turned to see the pirate looking down on her with a smile to match.

"Thank you," she said earnestly.

He nodded and she turned to walk home, feeling his eyes follow her until she ducked around the corner of the old cannery and was out of his sight.

She stopped and leaned against the wall, taking in a deep breath to smell the scent of the daisies surrounding her. Her mind began to race, over-analyzing every bit of their conversation from that night with Hook. She actually had an amazing time with him. Maybe she should give him a chance, she thought. Maybe he had changed from the broken man she arrested all those months ago. And maybe, just maybe, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming could accept to trade a now impossible relationship with a kind waiter for one with a devilish pirate.


	13. Chapter 13

_This is it so I hope you all enjoy this final chapter! I'm really appreciative of all the comments, follows, favorites and hits. I've never received this kind of amazing response for a fic I've written so thank you, thank you, thank you!_

Emma picked up her phone from next to the bed to check the time. 7:00 a.m. She put it down and closed her eyes again, the ship gently rocking her in bed.

The ship.

She sat up quickly, the sheet nearly slipping off her naked body before she caught it. Her eyes adjusted to the sunlight beginning to peek through the windows of Hook's quarters and she could see various pieces of furniture in the room covered with various pieces of her clothing.

Emma laid back down on the bed, her head nestling in the pillow that still smelled like him. She had fought with her feelings for a week since dinner that night on the Jolly Roger, talking herself out of a relationship with Hook each time she decided to walk over to his ship and tell him how she felt.

Last night at 2 in the morning, she started walking and just never stopped. It probably helped that she decided to see him right as the skies opened up, pouring rain on her as she sprinted towards the docks. She couldn't turn back after that.

Her loud footsteps on the deck of the ship had woken Hook up and by the time she got to the door above his quarters, it was already open and he was waiting for her. Emma didn't have to say anything to him or explain herself - he just knew. He had gently kissed her as he slowly removed each piece of her wet clothing before lowering her on his bed. And as she drifted off to sleep naked in his arms afterward, she silently smiled. He was trying to be a different person, but sleeping with Hook was just as amazing as sleeping with Will. She definitely would never complain about that.

But what she would complain about is that the captain's quarters were cold without the pirate in bed with her. She opened her eyes again to see she was alone and her clothes were still wet. And then she saw it: his long leather coat. She quickly slipped out of bed and grabbed the coat from the hook on the wall, her arms slipping easily into the sleeves before she closed it around her. She never realized the coat had a soft silk lining inside, but then she never had his coat wrapped around her naked skin before either.

Emma walked towards the windows, taking in the sun as it rose over the horizon. It was the best she had felt in a long time, maybe even since she broke the curse.

The hatch in the ceiling was thrown open and she turned to see Hook and his leather-clad legs swagger down the steps.

"Swan, I hope you're hungry!" he yelled. "I brought ..."

He stopped and stared at her, too stunned to finish what he was saying. That was fine by her since it gave her some time to fully take him in. In addition to the pants, he had on a black velvet vest over his usual pirate shirt, the collar standing high around his neck. He had a bag from Granny's hanging from his hook and a tray with two drinks in his hand. Emma's eyes reached his face and he immediately cleared his throat when he realized she had caught him looking at her.

"Sorry to stare, love," he said, diverting his eyes and placing the food and drinks on the table. "You are ..." His eyes fell back on her and his free hand reached for her, trailing down the side of his coat to stop gently on Emma's hip.

"I am what, captain?" she asked teasingly.

Hook let out a growl from deep in his throat and he pulled himself dangerously close to her. "You are quite the minx," he said in a husky voice as his hook began to gently trail down her chest, separating the overlapping lapels of his jacket covering her bare skin.

"A minx who is hungry," Emma replied, her hands quickly closing the opening he had made in the coat.

Hook groaned. "You can't blame a pirate for what happens when he has a naked woman in his quarters."

"No, I can't," she said as she walked towards the table. "And you can't blame a woman for needing some sustenance after what you did to her last night."

The pirate gave her a mischievous smile as if he was a proud cat who had caught his canary. He pulled out the chair for her to sit, then grabbed a white container from the bag. "Scrambled eggs, toast and hash browns," he said, placing the box in front of her. "And a hot chocolate with cinnamon." He grabbed the cup from the carrier and gently placed it in front of her.

Emma smiled. "You remembered my order!"

Hook leaned over and winked at her. "Good form, love."

He handed her some silverware from the bag before grabbing his own food and drink.

"So what are you drinking there, pirate? I thought Granny didn't serve rum."

Hook looked up and smiled. "If you must know, it's hot chocolate with cinnamon," he said. "If you can't beat them, join them and all that!"

She smiled and started poking at her eggs to hide the redness she felt warming her cheeks. Out of all the men she had been with, he was the only one who not only encouraged her habit but had actually joined in.

Their conversation over breakfast was easy and his stories about the horrible cook he used to have on his crew made her laugh. It didn't take long for both of them to finish a wonderful breakfast and Hook quickly cleared the trash off the table before sitting back down across from Emma.

She watched him play with the nearly empty cup in front of him, contemplating the words he was going to say next. "So love," he said quietly. "You were quite the welcomed sight, but why come stomping on my ship's deck in the middle of the night?"

She smiled and looked at him. "I couldn't think of any more excuses to stay away."

"In the soaking rain?" he asked incredulously.

Emma just shrugged - "I didn't notice." - and drained the last of her hot chocolate.

Hook laughed and started to reach across the table towards his coat. "Well, I can think of at least one excuse to keep you close, love."

"Not yet," Emma said, avoiding his hand by leaning back in her chair. "I answered a question for you. I'll let you have the coat if you answer a question for me."

The pirate moaned, his head falling close to the table before sitting up in his chair to look at her. "Proceed," he said with a flourish of his hand.

She took a deep breath. "Tell me something I should know about you."

"Know about me?"

"Yea," she said. "Like how about something that you haven't told anyone?"

"You make me sound dark and mysterious," he quipped.

"Do you deny it?" Emma asked, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Hook. "Now stop stalling."

The pirate looked down, running his fingers along the table, and Emma could tell the tone of their conversation had quickly changed from their flirtatious banter.

"How about something I haven't told anyone in a long time?" he asked.

She nodded, her eyes fixed on him in anticipation, and he took a deep breath to collect himself. "My name - my real name - is Killian Jones."

He looked up with his piercing blue eyes to see her reaction. She easily gave him a smile of encouragement and let a slight hum leave her lips. "Killian Jones," she repeated reverently, earning her a genuinely warm smile from him.

"Or you can call me Captain Jones if you prefer," he answered flirtatiously.

"Oh, of course, Captain Jones," she responded, getting up from her chair and walking towards her pirate. "Now I do believe you have earned your coat back. You know, it's just good form."

She leaned over and kissed him gently, the coat falling open as he stood up to match her. His hand and hook snaked their way around her bare hips under the leather, directing her backwards before slowly lowering her onto his bed, his leather coat splayed out underneath her.

"I thought you wanted this back," she said teasingly.

He buried his head in her neck, leaving a trail of kisses towards her collarbone. "Leave it on," he said, his voice hoarse with desire as his lips tickled her skin.

Emma took a deep breath as her body responded to his touch, making her feel like this was exactly where she belonged. He may not have been the person he was when she first fell in love with him, but even as a pirate, he was still very much hers and she intended to prove that to him repeatedly - even if it took all day in his bed.


End file.
